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Monday, December 31, 2012

NICOLE'S REVIEW: Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Title: Poison Princess
Author: Kresley Cole
Format Acquired: Hardcover 
Publication Date: October 2, 2012
Publishing House: Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 9781442436640
Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary: 

She could save the world  or destroy it.

Sixteen-year-old Evangeline "Evie" Greene leads a charmed life - until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations are still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-of-the-side bayou classmate, Jackson Deveaux.

But she can't do either alone. 

With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can't totally trust Jack. But if he ever casts that wicked grin her way, can she possible resist him?

Who can Evie trust? 

As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have received the same cell. An ancient prophecy is being played out, and Evie is not the only with special powers. A group of teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it's not always clear who is on which side...


(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

After reading the summary, I found my curiosity piqued; then I spotted the blurb on the back and I knew I had to have this book. It promised mystery, action, girls and boys with lethal powers, romance and an interesting plot involving the Major Arcana cards in a Tarot deck. I had such high hopes for this book, but sadly, they were misplaced. 

I was irritated by the misleading prologue. It was interesting and I won't deny being sucked into the book because of it but then I got to the first chapter and BAM, everything changed. Where was the action and the mystery the prologue seemed to be leading up to? Was this some kind of a joke? Needless to say, I rapidly started losing interest.

It starts with Evie, a spoiled rich girl who goes to this spoiled-rich-girl school who has an equally spoiled and rich boyfriend and a couple of spoiled and rich friends. It's not hard to guess that she's also very pretty and popular. Now, does this part have any relevance whatsoever to the overall story?  Absolutely not. I don't think that readers need thirteen chapters of a detailed description of how Evie's life was before the Flash - the apocalyptic event that destroyed the world - to establish that she's little miss perfect and has everything she could possibly want.

I liked the plot, I can admit to that. It was interesting, what with the personification of the Major Arcana and the threat of war in the future and well superpowers in general, but what really annoyed me was how the author seemed to have glazed over a few parts, like say, the Flash, for example - a few explosions and then that's it? That triggers the end of the world? And what about the Bagmen, how did that happen? The "why" of things need to be fleshed out and more attention be paid to the details and the world-building. Truthfully, I didn't exactly see the connection between the world ending and the war between the Major Arcana. 

Another reason Poison Princess didn't really work out for me were the characters. Evie fits the damsel-in-distress archetype to a tee. She's in a constant state of denial about her powers, is dependent on Jackson for everything and she's basically a wimp. Jackson on the other hand is crude, insensitive and basically a jerk. And I could not understand the attraction between Evie and Jackson because from what I could glean from their interactions, Jackson wanted Evie because of her face and her body then after the Flash, he wanted her because she was the only female around. The other characters didn't fare any better and I couldn't bring myself to pay them much attention.

What with the slow pacing, the thirteen chapters which I deem a total waste, lack of sufficient world-building and poor characterization, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. Sadly, I have to say that this book is a total disappointment and the one thing that's keeping me from giving it a lower rating is the plot, which despite all its wrong turns and plot holes, is pretty interesting.


Rating:


                     




Sunday, December 30, 2012

The Sunday Post #7


The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba over at the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. This post will provide a recap for posts that have been made during the entire week (December 23 - December 29, 2012).


Monday:
Happy Holidays! Blog Announcement

Wednesday:
NICOLE'S REVIEW: Paladin Prophecy by Mark Frost

Thursday:
The Twins on Thursday: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Friday:
MICHELLE'S REVIEW: Eternally Yours by Cate Tiernan

Saturday:
Stacking the Shelves #10

Catch up on our posts and tell us what you think!









Saturday, December 29, 2012

Stacking the Shelves #10


Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme first initiated by Tynga. This weekly segment will showcase the books/galleys/ARCs we've acquired/purchased/borrowed within the week.

Gifted Books:

Nicole 

From the PBT Party:
(from left to right)
1. XVI by Julia Karr
2. Mariah Mundi by G. P. Taylor
3. Arcadia Awakens by Kai Meyer
4. Vacations from Hell by Libba BrayCassandra Clare, Claudia Gray, Maureen Johnson, Sarah Mlynowski

(Thanks to Kai of Amaterasu Reads and Geraldine of The Soul Sisters!)

Michelle

From the PBT Party:
(from left to right, top to bottom)
1. Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield
2. The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore
3. The Prince Who Fell From the Sky (ARC) by John Claude Bernis
4. Seventeenth Summer by Maureen Daly

(Thanks to Kai of Amaterasu Reads and Tiffany of ReadBreatheRead!)


Purchased Books:

Nicole 

From Fully Booked EDSA Shangri-la:
1. Soulless (graphic novel) by Gail Carigger


From Amazon: 
(from left to right)
1. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
2. Crux by Julie Reece

Michelle


From National Bookstore EDSA Shangri-la:
1. Lullaby by Amanda Hocking


From Fully Booked EDSA Shangri-la:
(from left to right)
1. Renegade by J. A. Souders
2. Tiger's Destiny by Colleen Houck


From Amazon:
(from left to right)

1. Sanctum by Sarah Fine
2. Crux by Julie Reece
3. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

eARCs + eGalleys:

A Shade of Vampire
A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest
(Sent for review by author)

Advantage Erin
Advantage Erin by Kris Kreisman
(Sent for review by author)

How My Summer Went Up in Flames
How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
(via Edelweiss, thank you Simon Pulse!)

Have you read any of these? We'd love to know what you thought about them!



Friday, December 28, 2012

MICHELLE'S REVIEW: Eternally Yours by Cate Tiernan


Title: Eternally Yours
Author: Cate Tiernan
Format Acquired: Hardcover 
Publication Date: November 6, 2012
Publishing House: Poppy
ISBN: 9780316035965
Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary: 

In the first two Immortal Beloved novels, 450-year-old ex-party girl Nastasya Crowe spends five months at River's Edge, a rehab for immortals with troubled pasts. In between uncovering her family's epic magickal history and flirting with Reyn, a heartbreakingly hot Viking wonder boy, Nastasya finally leans that being good is a choice within her power. Just as she's starting to truly change, she discovers that someone is killing immortals around the world and that River's Edge and her new friends may be the next targets.

Armed with her own brand of kick-butt magick, Nastasya joins forces with her immortal friends and friends and teachers as they battle an evil that has plagued the world for much too long. By claiming her heritage, Nastasya fights back against darkness... but can she also fight against true love? Probably not if Reyn has anything to say about it.

With vivid historical flashbacks, stark emotional reckoning, and laugh-out-loud dialogue, the Immortal Beloved trilogy is a fascinating and unique take on what it would mean to live together.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

In Darkness Falls, Nas succumbs back to her old party girl ways, breaks Reyn's heart (as  authors are wont to do with regards to second books), falls back in with her friend Innocencio, only to come back to River's Edge with a fiercer determination for redemption in mind.

Now, in Eternally Yours, Nas is back as the true successor of the House of X, a romantic partner of Reyn, a member of the makeshift family at River's Edge, and the enemy of barn animals, but mostly of evil, naked chickens. When rehab houses for wayward immortals around the world are being attacked randomly, Nas can't help but be quite protective of River's Edge which she now acknowledges as her home. With the aid of her amulet and her friends, Nas must figure out a way to find out the motives of the attackers because they seem to be all coming for her.

I know I should be a little disturbed by the fact that 450-year-old Nas thinks, acts, and speaks like she is still in her late teens or early twenties throughout the entire trilogy, but indulge me when I say that I think she's just so vivacious, which is why I'm guessing it's not hard not to see why Reyn is so taken with her. If you could bottle her up and sell Nas' brand of bubbly, you'd have a drink that would undoubtedly sweep the market. The retellings of Nas' history were, I admit, sometimes boring, but it did make me wonder how she can keep up her fun modern-day diva attitude and still be ancient. (I'm sorry, Grandma.) Nas' fun times with Reyn were a bit hot, and I can't help think that sometimes, I feel like I'm 12 years old again and surreptitiously sneaking peeks at romance novels with the half-naked models on the cover. But that's not all Reyn is for. He is the perfect, perfect character for Nas, as he is grounded and always thinks of the best of her, even when Nas is having her insecure moments about herself, and about their relationship. River was still a darling, and with the introduction of her shady shady shady brothers, I can't help but love her more. Her dedication to truly help and believe in Nas makes me wish that there were more Rivers in the world.

The only gripe I would have with this one would be that it offers nothing new, and that the storyline was hardly eventful and memorable enough for me. To tell you the truth (if you haven't noticed already), I'm reading this for the Nas and Reyn parts. Don't get me wrong, this was a fun read, but I couldn't bear to give it more stars than it really deserves.

Tiernan's Immortal Beloved series offers a different (and when I say different, I do mean different) paranormal story in a modern setting, rife with romance, and magical mayhem that will undoubtedly leave its readers clamoring for more, and with the last of the series being Eternally Yours, readers will be satisfied by the fact that until the very end, Tiernan does not fail to end the trilogy in a way that will make Nas proud.

Rating:
    
              







Thursday, December 27, 2012

The Twins on Thursday: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry


"The Twins on Thursday" is reserved for the Twins' joint reviews. It is a special feature of our blog that discusses books that we either both like, dislike, or have mixed feelings about. This is also the day where we post reviews for books (and ARCs/Galleys) that have been sent to us by authors/galley sites/publishing houses. And because we don't believe much in uniformity, we'll be trying to mix things up a bit by adding random stuff in relation to our review (well, mostly for books we purchased anyway).



Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits, #1)
Title: Pushing the Limits
Author: Katie McGarry
Format Acquired: eGalley
Publication Date: July 31, 2012
Publishing House: Harlequin Teen
ISBN: 9780373210497
Source of Copy: NetGalley

Summary: 


So wrong for each other... and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outside with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible. Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Review:

When Echo Emerson is ushered into the new guidance counselor's office with her father and pregnant new stepmother in tow, she thinks that no adult can be of actual help to her. She has pretty big issues, and nobody likes those. When Noah Hutchins finds out that the only thing standing in his way of getting custody of his brothers is him cleaning up his act and being Echo's tutee, he knows it won't be easy, and getting Echo out of his mind won't be any easier. Pushing the Limits tries to push two unlikely people and somehow makes it work by involving real issues, like custody battles, abuse, and the after-effects of divorce. 

McGarry's characters were fairly well-crafted. We didn't fall in love with them and we were mostly dispassionate to their romance but what we did appreciate though was how real Echo and Noah were. The author did a good job building up the characters, giving readers a peek into the trauma and fear that Echo must have experienced, and still does actually, and Noah's constant battle to be reunited with his brothers and create a family of his own. Echo is needy, and while this should have been annoying it isn't because we think we would be too if the same thing - blood and nightmares and fear induced by someone you should've been able to trust - were to happen to us. Noah on the other hand is rebellious and has major trust issues and has a problem with authority and all but it fits his character to a tee because he's basically lost and broken and, aside from wanting his siblings back, has nothing much left to look forward to in life. 

We did expect that the strange attraction to be fully accounted for, save for the fact that they were both the stereotypical Young Adult hero/heroines with their good looks and killer bodies. But then, like most stereotypical Young Adult romances, the insta-love is off-putting and uninteresting.  If you ask us why they fell in love, we wouldn't know why either. (We've been asking each other the same question!)

The romance may be a little off, but the approach to real-life situations is careful and thoughtful, and may as very well be why this book was not hard to read at all. Readers can get an actual feel for the characters and all the issues they have to put up with, which is something that we think is highly commendable for a Young Adult title. Readers will not have a hard time following the story as well. We would recommend this to people who have read Jamie McGuire's Beautiful Disaster and were left disappointed (like us). If you want  people with real, gritty issues, read this one. 


The sequel, Dare You To, comes out in May 2013.

Rating:

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

NICOLE'S REVIEW: The Paladin Prophecy by Mark Frost

Title: The Paladin Prophecy
Author: Mark Frost
Format Acquired: Hardcover 
Publication Date: September 25 2012
Publishing House: Random House
ISBN: 9780375870453
Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary:

Will West is careful to live life under the radar. At his parents' insistence, he's made sure to get mediocre grades and to stay in the middle of the pack on his cross-country ream. Then Will slips up, accidentally scoring off the charts on a nationwide exam.

Now Will is being courted by an exclusive prep school...and followed by men driving black sedans. When Will suddenly loses his parents, he must flee to the school. There he begins to explore all that he's capable of - physical and metal feats that should be impossible - and learns that his abilities are connected to a struggle between titanic forces that has lasted for millennia.

Co-creator of the groundbreaking Twin Peaks, Mark Frost brings his unique vision to this sophisticated adventure series, which combines mystery, heart-pounding action and the supernatural.

Review:

Frankly, I'm amazed at how well Paladin Prophecy turned out to be. Frost had a decent cast of characters, an intriguing plotline and lots and lots of well-written action scenes. Paladin Prophecy also has secret societies, an epic war that's been raging for... well, ever, with lots of interesting tidbits thrown in for good measure.

Will is your typical teenage boy, he stays under the radar and moves from one place to the other with his parents until he makes a mistake that finds him scoring incredibly high grades on a nationwide exam that turns his whole life upside down. Soon after he finds himself being chased by shady people dressed in black and being courted by an exclusive school aptly named the Center. It is there he discovers his powers, and meets his friends . It is also here where the poor boy is blind to the fact that he's a big player in a millenia-old war. 

I liked a lot of things about Paladin Prophecy. It was fast paced-with a lot of descriptive action scenes. It also had copious amounts of mystery thrown in and dabbled in the secrecy of well, secret societies. Frost even managed to mix in a bit of the supernatural entwined with science, mainly the war between "angels" and "demons", and all their high-tech gadgets and talk of creating hybrids using in-vitriol fertilization, oh, and let's not forget super powers. Who doesn't like super powers? 

The characters were a plus too, I thoroughly enjoyed Will's voice and for some odd reason I liked the way he followed his father's list of "Rules to Live By" and how those nuggets of wisdom were always there in the back of his head. His friends were an interesting lot too, Nick in particular, was my favorite. I'm also glad that this book has very, VERY minimal romance - a few scenes here and there just to establish who Will's paired with. It's a refreshing change from all the romance-centered books out there but if you're jumping into this expecting a whole lot of swoon-worthy moments you will be sorely disappointed. And there's Dave - I'm not going to say anything about him but just know that I absolutely loved his character. 

Paladin Prophecy is a thrilling mix of mystery, suspense and action that manages to blend the supernatural with science fiction. It contains a whole lot of plot twists and turns but they're fairly easy to follow. Watch out for the cliffhanger. I can't wait for the next book in the series.


Rating:
                       

Monday, December 24, 2012

Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays!

Hey guys,


It's that wonderful time of the year again where family and friends gather around and toast to the celebrations. As we are busy preparing for tonight and tomorrow, today's scheduled review is cancelled. We will resume our normal schedule come Wednesday, December 26, 2012. We sincerely hope that you guys have a rockin' Christmas (or other religious festivities, to be politically correct), and that nobody fights over the last slice of ham. Kidding aside, we do wish that everyone has wonderful, wonderful days ahead.

Happy holidays!

Love,
The Twins Read




Sunday, December 23, 2012

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Stacking the Shelves #9


Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme first initiated by Tynga. This weekly segment will showcase the books/galleys/ARCs we've acquired/purchased/borrowed within the week.

Purchased Books:

Nicole
Thursday from Fully Booked EDSA Shangri-la:1. Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff


Michelle
Monday from Fully Booked EDSA Shangri-la 1. Auracle by Gina Rosati
2. My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger

If you've already read some of the books here, we'd love to know what you thought about them!



Friday, December 21, 2012

Blog Announcement: Winners of the Holiday + 50 Followers Giveaways



This month's giveaways have been quite crazy. 

First, there were the scheduled holiday giveaways, then we reached 50 followers on Networked Blogs, so of course we had to have another giveaway! We'd like to thank everyone who participated in the giveaways. (If we only could, we would give each and every one a copy.) We are quite apologetic if you guys would have wanted us to announce the winners sooner, but we had to go through each and every entry to make sure they were valid.

This is probably the post that a lot of people have been looking forward to for this week, and so without further ado, here are the winners.











Winners will be notified via e-mail and Twitter and only have 48 hours from the time of announcement to respond with their shipping addresses.



MICHELLE'S REVIEW: The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan


Title: The Brides of Rollrock Island
Author: Margo Lanagan
Format Acquired: Hardcover 
Publication Date: September 11, 2012
Publishing House: Knopf Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780375869198
Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary:

On remote  Rollrock Island,  men make their living - and fetch their wives - from the sea.

The witch Misskaella  knows how to find the girl at the heart of a seal. She'll coax a beauty from the beast for any man, for a price. And what man wouldn't want a sea-wife, to have and to hold, and to keep by his side forever?

But though he may tell himself that he is the master, one look is his new bride's eyes will transform him just as much as it changes her. Both will be ensnared - and the witch will look on, laughing.

In this magical, seaswept novel, Margo Lanagan tells an extraordinary tale of desire, despair, and transformation. With devastatingly beautiful prose, she reveals characters capable of unspeakable cruelty, but also of unspoken love.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book) 

Review:

As soon as I closed the book, all I could think of was, "Good God - did the author's parents force-feed her poetry book after poetry book?" When I was engrossed in the short stories (Yes, it's a collection of short stories. I was surprised too.), it felt like I was actually on the ethereal island, commiserating and celebrating with the characters of the novel. When they felt, I felt more, and there could possibly be no greater anguish than the fact that what these characters shared with the readers, they couldn't - and didn't! - share with the inhabitants of Rollrock Island. 

When I first spotted this on GoodReads, I jabbed a finger at my computer screen and boldly proclaimed, "Now that is a book that could take me away for a while." And I was right. (I'm rarely right, as attested by the fact that a lot of the books that have low ratings on this site are mostly mine.) The Brides of Rollrock Island did not just take me away; the imagery was wonderfully vivid, the words were delicate and harsh at the same time, and the storyline was both refreshing and sensual. 
We passed between the Heads, the rocks piled like messy gateposts either side of us, the swell making the ship restless. The sun came out like a cheer, and the water was the loveliest color, bright blue-green, and the foam curled like cream on some of the waves. The Heads fell behind, and there was nothing but sky and sea ahead of us, and each one's weather. The towns and farms and all their fuss and clutter of memories, I was shrugging them off like a heavy cloak, and sailing free. (278)
It is here we meet our characters, most of whom Lanagan does not spare in fleshing out, like the crafty storyteller that she is. Lanagan's characters are very real, very much alive, and I couldn't help but be swayed by the emotions and the inner turmoil her characters face. It did not matter whether the protagonist was selkie or human or witch, the honest words that come pouring out of their mouth will ring true in any reader's heart. 
"Yes, but only because... Down there, you see, I did not care and I did not feel. Whereas here-" I laid my head on my arms; he would only have been able to see the rounded-over back of me beyond the table now. "Here it is all feeling and caring, and it makes me so tired." (271)
If Lanagan's selkies can lure the men, her hauntingly decadent writing can very well lure me into the sea. Fans of Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races will undoubtedly want to pick up this book. 

Rating:
            



Thursday, December 20, 2012

The Twins on Thursday: Pantomime by Laura Lam



"The Twins on Thursday" is reserved for the Twins' joint reviews. It is a special feature of our blog that discusses books that we either both like, dislike, or have mixed feelings about. This is also the day where we post reviews for books (and ARCs/Galleys) that have been sent to us by authors/galley sites/publishing houses. And because we don't believe much in uniformity, we'll be trying to mix things up a bit by adding random stuff in relation to our review (well, mostly for books we purchased anyway).


Pantomime
Title: Pantomime
Author: Laura Lam
Format Acquired: Advance eGalley
Publication Date: February 5, 2013
Publishing House: Strange Chemistry
ISBN: 9781908844378
Source of Copy: NetGalley

Summary: 


R. H. Ragona's Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass - remnants of a mysterious civilisation long gone - are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It's a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimaera is still there. It's a place where anyone can hide.

Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist's apprentice and soon becomes the circus's rising star.

But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada.


(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads)


Review:

Pantomime is an impossible reality, it's like watching every whimsical and eerily beautiful dream we've had about the circus come to life. Dreamlike and surreal, Pantomime manages to evoke visions and paint images in the reader's mind that make it easy to believe that a world like this could actually exist. 

What makes Pantomime such a wonderful read is partly due to Lam's beautiful world-building. The circus both as a whole and its cast of characters are amazing and descriptive, and the realities and mysteries all seen through the eyes of our protagonist are heartfelt and harsh at best. The pacing, while slow at first, is not unwarranted since it adds to the overall feel of the story, Pantomime begs to be savored in measured doses. By the middle  of the novel, it actually tries to suck you in - and in our case, succeeds without us putting up a fight too! - and actually dares you to go back to your mundane and ordinary world.

Another aspect that we liked was Lam's willingness to explore the complexity of human relationships and sexuality without all the labels. We think that humans have this innate - and at times, irrational - desire to name things and place everything in categories simply because the mind has a hard time understanding without all these pre-conceived nuances.

The only misleading thing about Pantomime is that the magic that thrives in Gene's blood is not explained at all (as referenced to in the summary), and while it is a bit of a letdown, it is easy to overlook because this was honestly that good of a read.

The ending left us absolutely wanting for more, and with that being said, it is not hard at all to fall in love and be swept away by the circus, by the magic that is Pantomime.


Pantomime will be available come February of 2013.


Rating:


And because this is our slightly creative weekly segment, we're featuring artworks that reminded us of Pantomime, created by Nicole's super talented block mate, Chelsea Ortega.

This was supposed to be done in a day, but because of schoolworks and me being too OC, I’ve worked on this whenever I have the time to do it. -_-
It was inspired by this image, I kept seeing this in Facebook when TDKR was about to show here in our country. Anne’s so gorgeous there I just wanted to draw her D: Not exactly her, but her persona.
So yeah, I’ll leave it this way, I’ve retouched so many times I… just… can’t… get…it… right. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE (And watch the movie immediately) OTL
Doesn't that just remind you of the cover? When we saw this one, we knew it had to be included in the post!

Headdress
Done in Photoshop! What took this so long to finish is that I’m always stuck in the ‘How the Hell Should I Finish This Piece’ phase. It’s always that, and ‘How the Hell Should I Render This Part’ phase. Could’ve done better but I’m glad about the outcome. :)
This one totally reminded us of the other circus performers Gene starred alongside with.

That's not all the talented Ms. Ortega does. She also creates posters of concerts just for kicks.

This Century Live in Manila fan-made poster
As much as I want to share you all my experiences during the concert, I wouldn’t be able to because there is nothing to tell. Yeah I wasn’t able to go to at least one of the dates and I know it sucks more since I missed the opportunity of attending their SOLO concert. :(
I finished the poster on the 2nd day of their concert and I was really hoping that I could have the chance to go. But sadly, because of personal reasons, I wasn’t able to. I really dislike the feeling of being helpless in these types of situations, and I certainly hope this won’t happen again.
I wish I could’ve shown this to them personally just to show how much we do appreciate them coming here this Christmas season. But I guess (and I hope) I can do it here, virtually haha!
(So in case they see this) I really want to thank you guys for holding the concert for the Filipino fans! I truly believe they had a blast and you’ve given them beyond what they could’ve asked for! Please come back soon :)

We The Kings Live in Manila (fan-made poster)
@builtbysonic and @dayly_ent presents you: @WeTheKings Live in Manila!
YEY I’m finally done with this! It took me some time to finish this and it’s surprising that I’m quite satisfied with it. :) I used the official logo and photo of WTK so that I could practice incorporating official stuff to my posters. Basically the theme is summer since it’s… summer,  and it was also inspired by WTK’s latest album: Sunshine State of Mind. I also used Built By Sonic’s logo (found on the top left corner) because they’re the official producers of the concert, and it looks awesome there. xD
Sorry for the watermark, but I need to place it there since it’s not the official poster for the concert. I did this just for the purpose of enhancing my skills and maybe someone can hire me (TEEHEE).
(Original photo and logo of We The Kings are NOT mine)

You can find more of Chelsea Ortega's works at Me Against (Me)diocracy.






Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday #3: The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey and Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger



Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme first initiated by Jill from Breaking the Spine. However, we've added our own twist to it! Not only will we feature books that will be published in the following months, but we will also feature books that are not available yet locally, and are still unavailable to us.


The Fifth Wave (The Fifth Wave #1)
Title: The Fifth Wave
Author: Rick Yancey
Publication Date: May 7, 2013
Publishing House: Putnam Children's

Summary: 

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only ope rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother - or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or get up.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads)

It goes without saying that we're suckers for gore and horror, and who better to deliver that than Rick Yancey? We're huge fans of The Monstrumologist series (Remember our first giveaway?). If the guy can delivery scary as hell creatures, it's needless to say that we have very, very high expectations for this one. Sure, the premise may not be the most original out there, but we're still eagerly anticipating it. 




Title: Etiquette and Espionage
Author: Gail Carriger
Publication Date: February 5, 2013
Publishing House: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:


It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to finishing school.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is the bane of her mother's existence. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper etiquette at tea -- and god forbid anyone see her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. She enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But little do Sophronia or her mother know that this is a school where ingenious young girls learn to finish, all right--but it's a different kind of finishing. Mademoiselle Geraldine's certainly trains young ladies in the finer arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but also in the other kinds of finishing: the fine arts of death, diversion, deceit, espionage, and the modern weaponries. Sophronia and her friends are going to have a rousing first year in school.

First in a four book YA series set 25 years before the Parasol Protectorate but in the same universe.
(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads)

It can be said that we are fans of historical/victorian/steampunk novels and Nicole being a fan of Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate Series (she has the books and is waiting for her copies of the graphic novels) is unable to resist a YA series based in the same universe. We're quite excited to see how this series turns out. 

With 2012 drawing to a close, we can't help but anticipate the incoming year (assuming we don't get killed by a random meteor on the 21st or something). This would be the last Waiting on Wednesday post for the year, so what else can we say, but bring it on, 2013!